Carmilla Ramps Up for A Massive Metal Album
- BuzzSlayers
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
A set of brutal, thrashing power metal tracks from Carmilla all display what true metal is about. This is a record that takes no prisoners, holds nothing back, and delivers all the fire that you want from a good, heavy metal record. Still, it also branches out into different sub-genres of metal as well, delivering a robust set of atmospheres and a fierce energy that you just can't turn away from.
The band has an upcoming record called Dream Eternal, and you can hear several of the tracks off of this album right now as they are released everywhere as singles.
One of those singles is called "Fire At Will", which absolutely delivers intense guitar tone, massive riffs that include pitch harmonics and thrashing approaches, along with sturdy double kicks coming from those drums that just cut through everything, giving the track a closed-fisted and anthemic approach.
The vocals are an absolute powerhouse from beginning to end.
The vocal style on this record is classic with belting deliveries and performances, heavy-handed but very melodic approaches, and old-school vibratos that really have an impact.
One of the most important aspects of the vocal approach on the record is that it actually boasts the same kind of energy the band does musically. The instrumental and vocal balance here is perfect.
As intense as the guitar work and drumming can be on the record, the vocals always come at you with that same level of intensity, and I think that's part of what makes this record so impactful.
From this single alone, you can hear a lot of the amazing Staples that the rest of the release provides; however, I do suggest listening to this record all the way through from beginning to end, which you should be able to do soon, as it is planned to drop on May 1st.
"Fire At Will" may give you an idea of what you can expect from the record, but believe me when I tell you, there are plenty of surprises around its corners, and again, it sort of expands into other approaches here and there, giving it a bit of diversity and certainly showcasing some blistering energy and riffs throughout its course.
The album starts with a track called "Rise", which introduces the record amazingly. The start of the song has this sort of haunting, orchestral, synthesized approach, and then it opens up into the heavy thrashing that you would expect.
The cool thing about tracks like this is that it blends elements of a really brutal metal approach, breaching into death metal at times, even, but still holds to its classic metal roots.
The meshing of old and new school styles is outstanding. How they don't stray too far from the melodic power metal, but also bleed in this almost death metal feel, especially in terms of the guitar work, is just brilliant.
This is one of the songs on the record that really hits hard, but also gives you this amazing range of vocals. There are certain segments of the track that give you what sounds like three-part harmonies.
During those parts, everything is super boisterous and robust. Intensely melodic but still absolutely pounding.
For me, that blending of fierce, aggressive, trudging metal with the power metal style vocals is something that just hits a perfect spot.
There are plenty of times where you hear a metal band of this style, where you have the more fiery, thrashing speed and death metal feels, but the vocals are usually grueling or screaming. I like how the singing comes through differently and actually complements the guitar and bass guitar work a lot throughout the record.
Believe me, the intensity is still there. As I mentioned earlier, the vocals come through with that same level of energy as the instrumentation does.
Now, this is a record that is packed with amazing songwriting that does indeed showcase how the band pulls together a slew of influences to create what they do.
"Pain of Loss" is a massive power ballad-style track, but it brings in other elements as well.
There's a vastness in the underbelly of songs like this one. It feels almost cinematic; it brings a haunt with it.
I love the almost theatrical tonalities that this song brings out, and it's one of those surprises that I mentioned earlier.
This is a huge track that pulls you away from whatever you're doing and wherever you are, and puts you in a completely different place with it.
A lot of the record sort of feels like that, but this song in particular is an amazing escape.
The bass guitar tone brings a rumbling undertone to just about everything. The guitar work itself is thriving throughout the entire album, the vocals are pulse-pounding and sonically driving, but I have to say, the drumming is an incredibly key element to making all of this work.
The drum performance across this entire record is not just something that sits in the pocket. It brings with it a drive, an electric liveliness that feels like the rest of the band sort of pushes off of.
Everything about this entire record is super tight. The performance is spot on, a lot of it is technical, but it all has heart and soul.
This is a robust, adventurous metal record and brings with it an addictive soundscape.
Again, I would definitely suggest listening to this whole thing through from start to finish, which starts May 1st, when the Dream Eternal album drops officially.
Until then, you can listen to songs like "Fire At Will", "Pain of Loss", and even "Rise" on Spotify.
The release date is awfully close, so dive into these tracks now, and then check back on the first four for the full album release.
Remember where you heard this first.
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